Personal Income Rose in Most Counties in 2011

Personal income rose in 3,062 of the nation’s 3,113 counties in 2011, with growth ranging from 62.2 percent in King County, TX, to –28.8 percent in Lynn County, TX. Of the 50 counties with the fastest personal income growth in 2011, 45 were located in the Plains Region—with 41 of the 45 counties located in Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Increases in farm income were a major factor in the growth rates for most of these counties. Inflation, as measured by the national price index for personal consumption expenditures, accelerated to 2.4 percent in 2011 from 1.9 percent in 2010.

Per capita personal income (personal income divided by population) in counties in 2011 ranged from $121,301 in New York County (Manhattan), NY, to $16,752 in Crowley County, CO. Of the nation’s 3,113 counties, 609 (19.6 percent) had 2011 per capita personal income levels that exceeded the nation’s average of $41,560.